A portrait of pre-eminent literary bohemian, J. P. Donleavy, Irish-American novelist and playright, author of the best-selling cult novel "The Ginger Man", one of the Modern Library 100 best novels, banned in Ireland and the United States by reason of obscenity. Filmed at his estate Levington Park where he lives as a semi-reclusive gentleman farmer, the author explains how he came to own Olympia press, the publisher of Nabokov's Lolita, following years of court procedures to save his first novel from publication in a pornographic collection. Arguably the funniest living American novelist, he comments on the important characters in his work and reads notes from the original manuscript of one of his recent books, "The Unexpurgated Code".

This title is part of a DVD series called VOICES: Meetings with Remarkable People. The filmmaker and interviewer is Rina Sherman, who holds a number of informal interviews and conversations with various individuals who have had an influence in a number of fascinating areas. This particular DVD is a conversation with J.P. Donleavy, a writer and playwright best known for his first novel, The Ginger Man (1965). Donleavy discusses many of the characters within his novels, and reads from his newest and yet to be published (as of the writing of this review) The Unexpurgated Code. Sherman's background as a filmmaker and anthropologist has put her in touch with many interesting personages throughout her career, and this series attempts to talk with these people in an informal and casual manner—about their lives, careers, and passions. Anyone who enjoys detailed biographical information related to writing and filmmaking will enjoy this DVD, along with many of the others in this series.